New Delhi, March 28 -- On a historic day of 1985, seven South Asian nations came together with a dream-the dream of building an integrated, cooperative, and peaceful region. The main philosophy behind the establishment of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was regional integration, economic cooperation, and mutual development. But today, almost four decades later, that dream has been lost somewhere. The name SAARC has now become a disappointing chapter in the pages of history. Why?

Initially, the organization was operating quite well. Conferences were being held, cooperation initiatives were being taken in various fields. But gradually SAARC's progress stalled. Because some cracks had formed within it that could nev...